Lumley Castle | No Ordinary Hotelhttp://www.lumleycastle.com
Luxury Four Star Hotel, Nr Durham in the North East of EnglandTue, 31 Mar 2015 15:48:07 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1BBC RADIO 5 LIVE – FLINTOFF’S ASHES ROADSHOWhttp://www.lumleycastle.com/contact-us/latest-news/uncategorized/bbc-radio-5-live-flintoffs-ashes-roadshow/
http://www.lumleycastle.com/contact-us/latest-news/uncategorized/bbc-radio-5-live-flintoffs-ashes-roadshow/#commentsThu, 08 Aug 2013 16:07:34 +0000adminhttp://www.lumleycastle.com/?p=2224Read More →]]>There’s very much a buzz around the castle today ahead of the fourth Ashes Test starting tomorrow. (9th August 2013) BBC Radio 5 live were with us last night broadcasting from our Garter Suite…

The first time Shane Watson went to Chester-le-Street to play for Australia against England he was spooked by ghostly goings-on at a supposedly haunted 700-year-old castle turned hotel.

So much so, that the all-rounder vacated his own room in preference for some floor space in Brett Lee’s room. That was in 2005, when a Hot Spot-defying apparition destroyed the macho image of Aussie cricket and prompted some ghoulish sledging by Darren Gough in the day-night match that week.

‘Don’t worry, you can sleep in my bed tonight,’ the England fast bowler said tauntingly and, with accompanying ghostly pose, suggested that Watson could only play with the lights on.IDEO

Watson, the story went, was spooked by tales of the murdered Lily Lumley stalking the creaky floorboards of Lumley Castle Hotel, an imposing medieval pile standing on a hill overlooking the Riverside Cricket Ground.

I was rather hoping for an appearance from Joanna Lumley as I closed the door of Room 43, just a few yards along the corridor from the bedroom where poor Lily met her fate at the hands of a couple of priests.

The walk from reception would have tested the resolve of Dan Ackroyd, complete with Ghostbuster backpack: out of the main door, along the courtyard, back into the ancient building, past the well down which Lily’s body was thrown, along a badly lit dungeon corridor lined with busts of the likes of Julius Caesar and Cleopatra (eh!), up a grand staircase to another maze of corridors. No wonder a young Watson, wound up by the teasing of his elders, got into a state.

On guard: Our man Alan Fraser braves it in the haunted hotel

‘We get quite a few guests who think they see or feel something,’ said duty manager Nathan Cook. ‘Things that go bump in the night, hairs on the back of the neck, bright lights, orbs, silhouettes, double takes and someone or something pulling duvets from the bed. We do not actively discourage all the haunted talk.’

My room, he said with some relish, was on the corridor where Lily dragged her chains, so to speak. I put the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on the door, a request not so much to the staff as to a certain long-term resident.

I woke with a start. A figure stood at the end of the bed. All I could make out clearly was a green cap, though he (or she) seemed to be bending over as if taking guard.

Armed and dangerous: Alan made he had his cricket bat by his side

‘I am the ghost of Australian Cricket Past,’ a voice intoned.

‘You’re Steve Waugh,’ I replied. ‘You used to wear your baggy cap in bed. What do you want? I am not in any way related to Angus Fraser.’

‘Rise and walk with me,’ he commanded. ‘I have something to show you.’

‘I don’t want to get out of bed. Do you not have a DVD?’

The modern ghost comes well-equipped. He fed the disc into the machine and there was Sir Don Bradman scoring 254 at Lords in 1930; Michael Slater hitting England for 176 at the Gabba in 1994 and Terry Alderman taking six wickets at Lord’s in 1989. I fell asleep to Bill Lawry compiling 130, also at Lord’s, in 1961.

Suddenly, I was awake. A stocky little figure stood at the side of the bed within touching distance. Again the green baggy. ‘I am the ghost of Australian Cricket Present,’ a voice declared.

Brave soul: Alan lasted longer in the castle than Watson could manage

‘You’re David Warner,’ I replied. ‘I have nothing to fear from you. You’ve already lost the Ashes. You are punching below your weight and that’s saying something.’

I must have fallen asleep because I was aware of waking up again. This wraith was small, just a child.

‘You’ll be the ghost of Australia Cricket Teams Yet To Come, I suppose,’ I said confidently.

Not a word. But I thought I detected the cheeky smile of a young Shane Warne. Better not to be too cocky, I thought. You never know what the future might bring. Australia cricket teams to come might be nearer those of the past than the present.

I rolled over and gave a thought to the Total Abstinence Principle adopted by Ebenezer Scrooge. But only the briefest of passing thoughts. No need to get carried away, unlike Shane Watson.

Haunted: Watson will be hoping he doesn’t have to visit Lumley Castle again

So what did or did not happen in Lumley Castle Hotel eight years ago? ‘Shane got himself in a terrible state,’ said business development manager Samantha Buchanan-Robinson.

‘He was in a courtyard room, well away from where Lily walks. After a couple of nights on Brett Lee’s floor he asked for another room. All I had available was Room 46, where Lily was murdered.

‘I did not mention that at the time. Only after he thanked me on their departure and said he had slept brilliantly for two nights did I reveal that I had put him in the haunted room.’

I’ve been to this iconic North East venue on numerous occasions but have to admit it had been a while since I sampled some of the food served up here.

Obviously wedding fayre is not the same as what you would get on a nightly basis in the wonderful Black Knight restaurant, but the fact I was going to a nuptials dinner at the castle made me want to refresh myself with the standard of food on offer.

So off we traipsed to Chester-le-Street for an evening of what we hoped would be fine dining with a couple of friends.

I love the set-up at Lumley. It retains that classic old feel to it with the uneven floors (less abled bodies are catered for too, though) and it does have a certain grandeur throughout.

The Black Knight restaurant is the jewel in the Lumley crown, it has a wonderful setting and is beautifully laid out.

It was a glorious evening the night we ventured there and our table was close to the doors leading out on to an equally glorious view.

The a la carte menu changes from time to time but when we were there the choices were plentiful.

Two of us decided to go for the guacamole mousse encased in tomato jelly with a crisp tortilla basket, ranch salad, sour cream and lime tequila jel (£7).

The mousse itself was wonderfully light and I loved the crispiness of the basket.

We were at odds with the tomato jelly – it didn’t suit my taste buds, but my friend adored it. We both agreed though that the lime tequila jel hit the spot.

The asparagus with hollandaise sauce poached egg served with an asparagus and mascarpone mousse and crispy soldiers (£7.95) also proved a hit, with the vegetable cooked to perfection.

Lobster ravioli with porcini mushrooms, rocket and beef consomme (£8.95) sounded like a dream, and my pal loved the ravioli, although he did think the consomme lacked something, but he couldn’t quite work out what. Nonetheless, he enjoyed his starter.

The current a la carte starters include mouthwatering delights like Thai style crab cake, pea and mint risotto and a salad of beetroot-marinated monkfish.

For main course I tried the rump of veal with pear cider cassoulet, cider and sage jus pan fried local Doreen black pudding and pear crisps (£18.50).

There was nothing to fault about this dish whatsoever. It had been well over a year since I had tasted veal, and I soon remembered what I had been missing. The meat was so, so tender and the cassoulet and jus were the perfect accompaniments.

Her comments? “Great flavours which complemented each other, fish was delicious.” One happy woman then.

Her hubby had the Lumley Castle signature dish: Lumley beef fillet stuffed with blue cheese, wrapped in Parma ham and served on potato rosti with wild mushrooms and port wine jus (£26.50).

It sounded terrific on paper, and it transferred to the palate equally well. Of her hubby’s reaction to the meal, Bea said: “It was a good, hearty man-sized meal and I could almost see him beating his chest as he ate it!”. I have to agree, he did seem rather satisfied.

Unlike Fusspot – but then again, he IS Fusspot. He had the local herb fed free range chicken with mini Kiev, pea puree, fondant potato, homemade tomato ketchup and sea salt and balsamic jelly (£18.50).

While he `liked’ the dish, he found it not as creative or as full of flavours as the menu description suggested. That said, he seemed to finish every last drop, so he must have enjoyed it to a degree.

The current menu still has the signature dish while other tempting meals include oven baked hake with carrot and ginger puree, chicken and chorizo ballantine, parsnip and sweet corn pancakes and breats of Gresisngham duck.

I’ve been trying to lose weight for my summer holidays, but couldn’t resist the local cheese and biscuits served with tomato chutney, celery and grapes (£7.50). Simply delicious with a selection of Northumberland oak smoked, Northumberland Elsdon, Northumberland Nettle, parlour made Mordon Blue and parlour made Durham Camembert.

All in all a great meal with great company in a great setting. It’s little wonder Lumley has built such a reputation over the years and it is definitely worth visiting.

]]>http://www.lumleycastle.com/contact-us/latest-news/uncategorized/black-knight-restaurant-review/feed/0Exciting events on Lumley Castle’s doorstep!http://www.lumleycastle.com/contact-us/latest-news/uncategorized/exciting-events-happening-on-lumley-castles-doorstep/
http://www.lumleycastle.com/contact-us/latest-news/uncategorized/exciting-events-happening-on-lumley-castles-doorstep/#commentsThu, 02 May 2013 14:45:21 +0000adminhttp://www.lumleycastle.com/?p=1886Read More →]]>Lumley Castle Hotel are very excited indeed, as we’ve got some fantastic events happening on our doorstep at the Emirates Durham International Cricket Ground this Summer!

• 2013 Ashes Test England v Australia

9th – 13th August 2013

• Durham Summer Nights Live

5ive, Blue, Atomic Kitten - Friday 19th July 2013

‘The Voice’ & Pop Superstar Jessie J! - 20th July 2013

To book or enquire in regard to accommodation, please call +44 (0) 191 389 1111 or email contact us

]]>http://www.lumleycastle.com/contact-us/latest-news/uncategorized/exciting-events-happening-on-lumley-castles-doorstep/feed/0England v Australia – The Investec Ashes 2013http://www.lumleycastle.com/contact-us/latest-news/uncategorized/england-v-australia-the-investec-ashes-2013/
http://www.lumleycastle.com/contact-us/latest-news/uncategorized/england-v-australia-the-investec-ashes-2013/#commentsThu, 08 Aug 2013 16:18:50 +0000adminhttp://www.lumleycastle.com/?p=1750Read More →]]>The eyes of the sporting world will be on the region as this will be one of the largest sporting events ever to be held in the region. The Emirates Durham Test will be the fourth in the series, from Friday 9th to Tuesday 13th August 2013.

Durham CCC Chief Executive David Harker said “Hosting the Investec Ashes Test match at Emirates Durham is great reward for the hard work and effort put in by the staff and players to put Durham County Cricket Club at the forefront of cricket, on and off the pitch.

“We are really looking forward to what will be five days of exciting cricket at a sell-out Emirates Durham ICG. This is a great opportunity for the north east to be showcased on the international stage, not only demonstrating our ability to hold world class events but also boosting tourism and our local economy. We look forward to giving visitors the warm and friendly welcome associated with our region.”

]]>http://www.lumleycastle.com/contact-us/latest-news/uncategorized/england-v-australia-the-investec-ashes-2013/feed/0Lumley Castle Facebook Photo Competitionhttp://www.lumleycastle.com/contact-us/latest-news/uncategorized/facebook-photo-competition-win-dinner-bed-breakfast-for-two/
http://www.lumleycastle.com/contact-us/latest-news/uncategorized/facebook-photo-competition-win-dinner-bed-breakfast-for-two/#commentsWed, 06 Feb 2013 17:36:06 +0000adminhttp://www.lumleycastle.com/?p=1609Read More →]]>Be in with the chance to win a fabulous Dinner, Bed & Breakfast for Two staying in one of our Castle Feature Bedrooms, Dining in our award winning Black Knight Restaurant and enjoying a full English Breakfast prior to departure.

To enter simply go to our facebook page and ‘Like’ the page then send your best image of Lumley: interior, exterior, past, present, a special occasion and so on… the image with the most ‘likes’ on the 30th April 2013 wins! Simple as that, so happy snapping and sharing…Good Luck!

Terms & Conditions:

1. All entrants must be aged over 18 years.

2. To enter, ‘Like’ our page on Facebook (facebook.com/lumleycastle.com) and email your best photograph of Lumley Castle, interior/ exterior to facebook@lumleycastle.com with details of who took it, where and when it was taken.

3. Limit of one photo per entry in the competition.

4. The competition is not open to employees or agents of Lumley Castle Hotel or Coombe Abbey Hotel.

5. The photo with the highest number of ‘likes’ on Lumley’s Facebook page before midnight at the end of the 30th April will win. In the case of a tie, the main admin of our Lumley Castle Facebook page will break it by ‘liking’ the photo prefered most.

6. The entrant of the ‘Win Dinner, Bed & Breakfast for Two at Lumley Castle Photo Competition’ will receive Dinner, Bed & Breakfast in a Castle Feature Bedroom for two people. He/she will be notified by the main admin of our Lumley Castle Facebook page by posting a comment on the photo that has won and be informed by email. The photo will also be featured on our www.lumleycastle.com website and will be the profile picture of our Facebook page, following the month won for a limited time.

7. The prize is non-transferable and must be taken within 6 months of being received. Subject to availability, excludes the month of December 2013.

8. We’d love to be able to tell people who’s won and may ask for you to let us use your name in our publicity materials, but would only do so with your consent.

9. By posting your photos, you give permission to Lumley Castle to publish your pictures on our www.lumleycastle.com website and our Facebook page and use them in the future for promotional purposes in connection with this competition. We will give full credit to the photographer.

10. You must have taken the photograph yourself or have permission to distribute the photograph by whoever has taken the picture and owns the copyright.

‘Winding corridors, stone floors, grand archways and gardens – it’s the stuff of fairytales. Yet Lumley Castle is not just about looking the part: the atmosphere, service and cuisine are all out of this world.

We had donned our finest garbs for an exquisite meal at Lumley Castle. Greeted by our charming waitress, we took in the immaculate table linen, fresh roses and well- spaced tables – it all heralded an evening to remember. Chef Richard Chilver is taking the dining experience to new levels. My deep-fried monkfish cheeks were crisp on the outside and soft within, the scattered caper berries adding a subtle sharpness. My companion’s heritage tomato and buffalo mozzarella salad featured seven types of locally grown tomatoes, dark balsamic pearls and baby basil leaves.

Despite being tempted by the grill menu’s locally produced dry- aged beef on the bone, my companion plumped for the Lumley signature dish: beef fillet stuffed with blue cheese. Intrigued by the accompanying beetroot gnocchi, I chose the oven- roasted duck breast. This dish was a triumph and the sweetness of beetroot worked beautifully. Ihadn’t been planning on indulging in dessert but as soon as I saw the options I knew it would be futile to resist. I can only describe our choice as pure heaven in a dish; the chocolate marquise tasted quite exquisite with crimson poached cherries.’ - Tyne & Wear Food & Drink Guide 2013

]]>http://www.lumleycastle.com/contact-us/latest-news/uncategorized/lumley-castle-features-in-tyne-wear-food-drink-guide-2013/feed/0Lumley Castle team up with House of Fraserhttp://www.lumleycastle.com/contact-us/latest-news/uncategorized/lumley-castle-team-up-with-house-of-fraser/
http://www.lumleycastle.com/contact-us/latest-news/uncategorized/lumley-castle-team-up-with-house-of-fraser/#commentsWed, 17 Oct 2012 15:44:55 +0000adminhttp://www.lumleycastle.com/?p=1218Read More →]]>We’re pleased to announce that Lumley Castle have recently teamed up with House of Fraser to bring you some of the finest brands at exclusive prices at Lumley’s Christmas Bazaar event on the 29th November, 3rd & 5th December 2012.

]]>http://www.lumleycastle.com/contact-us/latest-news/uncategorized/lumley-castle-team-up-with-house-of-fraser/feed/0Lumley Castle in UK’s top 20 Castles – The Timeshttp://www.lumleycastle.com/contact-us/latest-news/uncategorized/lumley-castle-in-uks-top-20-castles-the-times/
http://www.lumleycastle.com/contact-us/latest-news/uncategorized/lumley-castle-in-uks-top-20-castles-the-times/#commentsWed, 17 Oct 2012 15:03:09 +0000adminhttp://www.lumleycastle.com/?p=1207Read More →]]>It’s not every day that you get a mention in The Times, but we did on Saturday 13th October 2012 in their Weekend Travel section.

Stay in a great British castle

From a B&B in Cumbria to a turreted Gothic pile in Scotland, Tom Chesshyre picks the top 20 places to live like a king.

Overlooking the Durham County Cricket Club’s ground by the River Wear. Lumley Castle was built in the 14th Century. It is rumoured to be haunted and when the Australian cricket team stayed here in 2005, the batsman Shane Watson was said to have slept on the floor of another player’s room as he was so frightened. Bedrooms are decorated in rich reds and pinks, with oil paintings. The vaulted Black Knight Restaurant serves hearty dishes such as ham hock, pork belly and venison… Doubles from £89 with a bottle of wine on arrival and 20 per cent off at the Black Knight, three courses from about £30 (0191 389 1111, lumleycastle.com)

]]>http://www.lumleycastle.com/contact-us/latest-news/uncategorized/lumley-castle-in-uks-top-20-castles-the-times/feed/0Lumley Castle Wedding Fayres – a huge success!http://www.lumleycastle.com/contact-us/latest-news/uncategorized/lumley-castle-wedding-fayres-are-a-huge-success/
http://www.lumleycastle.com/contact-us/latest-news/uncategorized/lumley-castle-wedding-fayres-are-a-huge-success/#commentsWed, 17 Oct 2012 14:27:43 +0000adminhttp://www.lumleycastle.com/?p=1185Read More →]]>Being one of the top wedding venues in the North East of England, twice a year Lumley Castle hold Wedding Fayres and Showcases and this year’s October Wedding Fayre did not fail to impress, with over 500 people walking through the doors in three hours!

We received this lovely comment from one of our suppliers:

“Just wanted to say thank you to all concerned for this afternoon. Exactly how a wedding fayre should be… Chocka Block. Well done, see you soon” - Keith Hood Photography

Our next Wedding Fayre is on Sunday 17th March 2013, 1.00pm – 4.00pm. Hope to see you there! But if you can’t wait until then, come and have a look around. Our next Wedding Showcase is on 20th January 2013.